Junior defence minister Don Touhig said: "The [board of inquiry] is not there to apportion blame, but to establish the facts and make recommendations in an attempt to stop such a tragedy happening again."

He said he hoped the report would give the families of the soldiers "a much better understanding of this awful tragedy".

Although both men's families say they have had to wait too long to get answers, Debbi Allbutt, Cpl Allbutt's widow, said on Thursday she was happy with the findings.

She said: "I am pleased...I do think it is very much in depth.

"I have no problems with the report at all, they have given us all the information that we needed, all the answers."